This invention pertains to the distribution of telephonic features among mobile switch centers (MSCs).
Wireless intersystem communications in the telephony industry comply with ANSI41 which is the industry standard for wireless radio communications intersystem operations. The ANSI41 standard is adopted and recognized by the American National Standards Institute and is published by the Telecommunications Industry Association/Electronics Industry Association TR-45.2 subcommittee, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference.
In a wireless network having a plurality of MSCs acting as nodes in the network, the telephonic features that are defined by parameters in a message are transmitted among the MSCs in accordance with the ANSI41 standard. Compliance with the ANSI41 Standard requires that forward and backward compatibility exist for messaging among the MSCs and nodes in a telephonic network. Thus, even though an MSC does not provide a feature defined by a parameter in a message, the ANSI41 Standard provides that the parameter supporting that feature be disregarded or ignored by the MSC not providing the feature and that the operation/call be handled in accordance with the ANSI41 Standard in all other respects.
In practice, wireless telephonic networks include MSCs supplied by many different vendors. If one MSC fails to comply with ANSI41 regarding the processing of an operation/call including a parameter having a feature not provided by the MSC then degradation of the processing of the operation/call occurs including a total failure to establish the call.
Currently, extensive preliminary testing is done to determine if a feature is going to encounter a problem messaging among the MSCs in a telephonic network. When a MSC is identified as not complying with the ANSI41 Standard, expensive and time consuming software fixes are implemented to overcome the problem. Then if the noncompliance is corrected, the software fixes are undone with a corresponding expense and time.
Telephonic features are proliferating, and the benefits of features such as caller ID, call waiting and call forwarding are universally recognized. The innovators and providers of such features are inhibited to offer a new feature because MSCs in the network that do not offer the feature and fail to comply with the ANSI41 Standard will not properly process a operation/call which includes a parameter associated with a new feature. Accordingly, the innovators and providers of new features are impeded from developing and distributing and test marketing new features and obtaining the revenues associated with the new features. Ultimately, the benefits derived by the consumer from new features are jeopardized.
The present invention is directed to overcoming, or at least reducing the effects of one or more of the problems set forth above.